Westralian Farmers Co-operative
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| Public | |
| Traded as | ASX: WES |
| Industry | Conglomerate |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Headquarters | 40 The Esplanade Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
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Area served
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Australia Bangladesh Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Michael Chaney, Chairman Rob Scott, CEO |
| Revenue | A$65.98 billion (2016) |
| A$3.61 billion (2016) | |
| A$2.35 billion (2016) | |
| Total assets | A$40.78 billion (2016) |
| Total equity | A$22.95 billion (2016) |
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Number of employees
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220,000 |
| Subsidiaries | Bunnings Warehouse, Coles Supermarkets, BI-LO, Pick 'n Pay Hypermarket, Coles Express, Coles Central, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Officeworks, Officeworks BusinessDirect, Harris Technology, Kmart, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, Target, Homebase, Curragh Queensland Mining, Bengalla Mining Company*, Koukia*, Blackwoods, Bakers, Total Fasteners, Bullivants, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety NZ, CSBP, PB Workwear, Australian Gold Reagents*, Kleenheat, Unigas*, Coregas, Gresham Partners Group*, Wespine Industries* * Joint ventures |
| Website | www.wesfarmers.com.au |
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Footnotes / references |
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Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, with interests predominantly in Australian and New Zealand retail, chemicals, fertilisers, coal mining and industrial and safety products. With AU$65.98 billion in the 2016 financial year, it is the largest Australian company by revenue, overtaking Woolworths and BHP Billiton. Wesfarmers is the largest private employer in Australia, with approximately 220,000 employees.
Wesfarmers was founded in 1914 as a co-operative to provide services and merchandise to Western Australian farmers. It was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1984 and grew into a major retail conglomerate.
Westralian Farmers Co‐operative Limited was formed in 1914 as a cooperative company by the Farmers' and Settlers' Association of Western Australia, to acquire the assets of the West Australian Producers' Union, to be focused on the provision of services and merchandise to the Western Australian rural community. By 1919 more than 65 local co-operative companies were acting as agents for Westralian Farmers Limited.
In 1924, it established the first public radio station in Western Australia with 6WF before it passed into the hands of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1929.
By the 1940s the company's business included "being wheat and general merchants; country distribution for Commonwealth Oil Refineries Ltd; wool, live stock, skin and produce auctioneers; grain & fruit exporters; insurance underwriters; acquiring agents for the wheat pool of W.A." Known as Westralian Farmers Limited, it had premises in various locations within the Perth central business district. In the 1940s there were premises at 563-571 Wellington Street. They also had premises in Newman Street in Fremantle.
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